Hardware wallet
Signing device
A hardware wallet is a dedicated device that generates and keeps private keys inside itself and signs transactions only after the user confirms the details on its own screen.
A computer or phone prepares the transaction and passes it to the device. The device shows the destination and amount, the user confirms, and the device returns a signature. The private keys never leave it.
Its main protection is against malware on everyday computers, which cannot read keys inside the device and cannot draw on its screen. It does not protect a paper seed phrase, a forgotten passphrase, or a payment the user was tricked into approving.
A hardware wallet still needs a tested seed phrase backup, because the device can break or be lost. See hardware wallet or software wallet.
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